Long-Term Planning for Dredged Material Disposal

by Roger A. Burke, US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal, Branch, Mobile, AL, USA A,
George T. McDonald, US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal, Branch, Mobile, AL, USA A,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal

Abstract:

The dredged material produced from maintenance of the channel in Upper Mobile Harbor (UMH) is disposed into confined upland disposal areas provided by the project's local sponsor, the Alabama State Docks. An average maintenance dredging volume of 2. 4 million cubic yards is produced on an average of 24-month intervals. This rate of dredging has resulted in the rapid depletion of the capacity of existing disposal areas. Development of a long-term disposal plan is required to ensure the long-term viability of Mobile Harbor. Implementation of the management plan will realize a significant savings in available storage capacity without reducing effluent water quality. It is estimated that projected disposal operations could continue for at least 45 years compared to an estimated 11 years using the existing sites without a management plan. Should dewatered material be removed from the sites for beneficial uses or for disposal in the Gulf of Mexico, site life may be extended indefinitely.

Subject Headings: Dredged materials | Waste sites | Ports and harbors | Maintenance and operation | Water storage | Water quality | Project management | Alabama | United States | Gulf of Mexico

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